Mouse laser pointer?

[rhys]

hey everyone umm i just noticed that on my computer mouse it says 150mw laser so i was wondering if i could turn this into a laser pointer and if i can how?

 

[zachlr]

Wiki says computer mice operate in inferred light, so the beam/dot will not be visible, however you could burn stuff with it. I'm pretty sure you could take it out and use it, just give it a driver, heatsink, case, and whatever else I am forgetting. As far as how, taking it out is pretty much a given, and assembling it shouldn't be too hard, just search it on youtube. That's all I know, you'll have to talk to an expert past that.

 

[MarioMaster]

your mouse says it has a 150mW laser in it? that seems quite high just to provide light to the tracking chip...


my G5 has an IR laser in it, but it's prolly only 1-5mW, I think buying one of the 808nm diodes from stonetek.org would be a more efficient way of getting an IR laser diode (they're like $8)

 

[rhys]

ok thnx but if its infra red how come red light comes out and it can point up 10 metres without focusing i think

 

[zachlr]

I think you confused a laser mouse with an optical mouse.  Optical mice have an LED that tracks motion, such LEDs are red light.  As I said, true laser mice operate in IR.

EDIT: you might be on to something though, try focusing that light and it might become pretty powerful. I don't really know but it seems logical. It won't really be a laser by definition, but it will do the job.

 

[rhys]

soz i meant 50 mw here are details on base rating: dc 5v, 50mW
also yestereday i looked at my friends one and it said 100mW

 

[wesdaman14]

Take a picture of where it says 150mW. or i think its a hoax lol

 

[wesdaman14]

Are you sure its not mA, Which is milliamp ? Im 100% sure its milliamp, no way a mouse will have a 150mw laser in it, at most 1-5mw.

 

[zachlr]

You might be confusing consumption with output. Basically what Wesdaman14 said.

 

[MarioMaster]

the image looks to me like it's just a standard optical mouse (which uses an LED)

 

[rhys]

the pic is too blurry to see but its only 50 mW here ill send u a pic but u cant c

 

[rhys]

hope that helped

 

[rhys]

soz is mA really sorry everyone i assumed mW

 

[Jimmymcjimthejim]

It says 5V 50mA.
That's the input voltage and current.
Sorry, but your mouse is not 50mW lol.

Edit: Aww, beat me to it.

Also, you know there's an edit button. Try not to make more than one post in rapid succession...

 

[rhys]

really bright led then cause it hurt my eyes lol
lol ok thnx sorry guys

you c i live in australia so i cant buy nethin over 1mw so i want to make one but i dont have the resorces and then i saw my mouce and .......... well yeh

 

[wesdaman14]

Yup thats mA which is milliamp
its ok everybody makes mistakes, i just happen to make more then everyone else.
heres the pic